Soap-press.



No. 638,452. Patented Dec. 5, I899. J. J. FORSTEB &- R. L. MURDUCK.

r SOAP PRESS.

(Application filed Aug. 30, 1897. Renewed May 10, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 638,452. Patented Dec. 5 I899. J. J. FORSTER & R. L. MURDOCK.

SOAP PRESS.

(Application file 5 Sheets-8heet 2.

(No Model.)

mveu'rons MBI .Nm 638,452. Patented Dec. 5,1899, J. J. FORSTER 8'. B. L. MUBDOGK.

SOAP PRESS.

(Application filed Aug. 80, 1897. Renewed May 10, 1899.)

5 Sham-Sheet 3:.

(No Model.)

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No. 638,452. Pate nted Dec. 5 I899. J. J. FORSTER & n. L. MURDOCK.

SOAP PRESS.

(Application filed Aug. 30, 1897. Renewed May 10, 1899.)

5 Shee(sSheat 4.

(-No Mode/L) FIG. 4-.

WITNESSES:

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No. 638,452. Patented Dec. 5, I899. J. J. FORSTEH &. R. L. MURDOGK.

SOAP PRESS.

(Application filed Aug, 30, 1897. Renewed May 10, 1899.) v (No Model.) 4 5 Sheets8heet 5 @Zd-W mm 0.. WASHINGTON, o. c.

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Warren STATES j JOHN J. FORSTER AND ROBERT L. MURDOOK, OF AVALON, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN H.

SYLVANIA.

WILSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENN- SOAP-PRESS.

PEOIFICATIlION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 638,452, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed August 30, 1897. Renewed May 10, 1899. Serial No. 716,264:- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN J. FORSTER and ROBERT L. MUnnooK, citizens of the United States, residing at Avalon, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and use ful Improvements in Soap-Presses, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in presses for condensing and solidifying cakes of soap, and has for its object a construction of apparatus whereby the cakes may be automatically fed into a compress in a suitable matrix and by the reverse operation of the compressing-plungers withdrawn from such matrix and then-by the operation of suitable grippers so clamped or held as to permit of the separation of the plungers from the sides of the cake of soap.

In general-terms, the invention consists in the construction and combination substantially as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

I11 the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a top plan view of our improved press. Fig. 2 is a Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 4. is a transverse section, the plane of section beingindicated by the line IV IV, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow at. Fig. 5 is a similar view, the plane of section being indicated by the line V V, Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the grippers.

In the practice of our invention a drivingshaft 1, adapted to be driven by any suitable means, is mounted in suitable bearings 2 at one end of the bed or frame 3. The crank of this shaft is connected by a pitman at to the cross-head 5, which is mounted in suitable bearings 6, secured to the frame 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the cross-head is provided with forwardly-projecting arms 7, the ends of which are connected by a cross-bar 8, which forms a bearing or support for the plunger 9. This plunger is provided with an internally-threaded opening for the reception of the threaded end of the stem 10, which extends back through an enlargement of the cross-head and has secured thereto a disk 11. A spiral spring '12 is interposed between the disk 11 and the 1 and 2.

plunger. A head 14: is secured to the forward end of the plunger by means of a stem. formed integral with the head and fitting within the longitudinal opening in the plunger, where it is held by a set-screw 16. An opposing plunge'r 17 is secured to a rod 18, havingits outer end attached to a plate 19, provided with a laterally-projecting arm 20, which in turn is secured to the rod 21, mounted in suitable bearings on the sides of the frame 3. The plunger 17 is held within and at the front end of the matrix 22 by means of a spring 23, surrounding the rod 21 and bearing at its ends against a collar 24 on the rod 21 and. one of the bearings of the rod. The rearward movement of the plunger 17 is effected by the crosshead 5 through the medium of suitable mechanism, substantially as shown, adapted to engage the rod 21 during a portion of its rearward movement and to be automatically released from such rod. This mechanism consists of a latch 25, pivotally connected to the cross-head and provided at its free end with a hook or notch adapted to engage a pin projecting from the collar 26, adjustably secured on the rod 21. The latch is normally held in position to engage the pin on the collar 26 by means of a spring 28, as clearly shown in Figs. The disengagement of the latch from the rod 21 is automatically effected, preferably by means of an inclined shoulder on a plate 29, adj ustably mounted on the frame of the machine, engaging a corresponding shoulder on the latch 25, so as to force the latch upward.

The shaping-box 22 is detachably secured to a vertical plate 30, formed on or secured to the frame of the machine in such position that its axis will be in line with the axes of the plungers or heads 14 and 17. To the vertical plate 30 is secured a platform 31, on which the vertical posts or standards 32 are adjustably mounted, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. These standards, which form two sides of a chute for feeding the soap, have adjustably secured thereto blocks 33, and to the edges of these blocks plates 34 are attached in such manner as to permit of their horizontal adjustment, as shown in Fig. 4. These plates, with the standards 32, form a guide or chute for the reception of the cakes to be pressed. When the plunger 17 is within the feeding-box 22, the lowermost cake in the guide-chute will rest upon the platform 31, but will be forced off from said platform byan auxiliary plunger 35, which is connected to the plate 19, so as to move with the plunger 17. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that when the plunger 17 is moved to the left by the cross-head 5 the auxiliary plunger 35 will force a cake of soap off the platform 31, so that it will drop onto the plunger 17, and when the latter is forced back by the spring 23 into the matrix 22 the cake will drop onto an apron 36 immediately in front of said matrix. The cakes are guided on their movements from the platform 31 by means of vertical posts or standards 37, horizontally adjustable on the apron 36. In order to prevent the cakes from toppling over as they drop upon the platform, lateral guidingor supporting plates 38 are secured along the outer edges of the standards 37. As the cross-head moves forward or to the right in Figs. 1 and 3 the cake of soap is pushed from the apron 36 back "into the matrix 22 and against the plunger 17 and subjected to sufficient pressure, determined by the tension of the spring 12. As the cross-head reaches the forward limit of its movement the notch or hook in the latch 25 will come into line with the pin on the collar 26 and be forced into engagement therewith by the spring 28. As the crosshead is withdrawn the plunger 17 will move with the plunger 9, the cake of soap being held between them, to a point where the cake is a little beyond the apron 36. As the parts reach this position grippers 39 are forced inward to grasp the exposed edges of the cake. These grippers 39 are attached to the outer ends of rods 40, which move back and forth in suitable bearings in the frame of the machine, and are held in their outer position by means of springs 41, surrounding the rods and bearing at one end against collars 42 and at the opposite end against some stationary portion of the frame of the machine. The grippers are forced inward to grasp the cake by means of lovers 43, pivotally mounted upon the frame of the machine and having one end bifurcated to pass around the rods 40, and are adapted to bear against collars 44, adj ustably secured upon the rods 40. These levers are shifted to force the grippers inward by means of dogs 45, pivot ally mounted on plates 46, which are adjustably mounted upon the cross-head 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The tails of the levers 43 are provided with lateral projections or enlargements, against which projections on the dogs 45 will strike, so as to shift the lever outwardly. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that these dogs are so mounted that when the cross-head moves to the right the dogs will be rotated on their pivotal supports when they strike the tails of thelevers, but will be snapped back to normal or operative position against stops 47 by springs 48 as soon as the dogs have passed beyond the lateral projections on the levers. When the cross-head moves to the left, the dogs will be held stationary by the stops 47, so that they will be operative to force the tails of the levers outwardly. These dogs and the plate'29 are so located with reference to the movemen t of the cross-head that thelatterwill be operative to lift the latch 25 immediately after or simultaneously with the gripping of the soap by the grippers. As soon as the latch 25 has been raised the spring 23 will snap the plunger 17 back, removing it with a jerk or jar from one side of the cake of soap, said jar being also effective to detach or loosen the adhesion of the cake to the head 14; but such jar will not be sufficiently severe to remove the cake from between the grippers. After the backward movement of the plunger 17 the cross-head will continue its movement to the left, so as to move the dogs 45 beyond the lateral projection on the tails of the levers 45, thereby permitting the springs on the rods 40 to withdraw the grippers, thus allowing the compressed cake to drop upon the endless apron 49. This apron passes around pulleys 50 and 51, located at or near the ends of the machine, the former being mounted upon a shaft 52, which is driven by a belt 53 from the crank-shaft 1.

As shown, the matrix or box 22 is detach ably connected to the frame of the machine, so as to permit of the use of different sizes of matrices. A change of matrix will necessitate a substitution of different sizes of head and plunger and also an adjustment of the apron 36, which is supported at its ends by upwardly-projecting lugs 36*, provided with vertical slots through which pass bolts screwing into the frame of the machine. As hereinbefore described, the several parts of the guide-chute are made adjustable, so as to permit of' the feeding of different sizes of cakes to the machine.

As shown in Fig. 6, the grippers are provided with face-plates 54, adjustably mounted, so that the cakes may be always gripped about midway between the head 14 and plunger 17 regardless of the thickness of the cake.

A spring 55 is placed around the rod 21 to serve as a cushion on the return movement of the rod 21 by the spring 23, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

We claim herein as our invention 1. In a soap-press, the combination of a matrix, a positively-driven plunger for compressing the soap, a plunger for forcing the I ll I soap out of the matrix and a spring controlled by the compressing-plunger for snapping the second plunger back to normal position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a soap-press, the combination of a matrix, a positively-driven plunger for compressing the soap, a plunger for forcing the soap out of the matrix, a detachable connection between the compressing and delivery plungers, whereby the latter is moved out of the matrix, and a spring for snapping the delivery-plunger back to normal position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a soap-press, the combination of a matrix,a positively driven com pressing-plunger, grippers mounted in stationary guides or supports, springs for holding the grippers out of the path of movement of the compressing-plunger and levers operative by the compressing-plunger for shifting the grippers inward to grasp the soap, substantially as set forth.

4. In a soap-press the combination of a horizontal matrix, a horizontally-moving compressing-plunger, a delivery-plunger, a vertical chute for the soap to be pressed, an auxiliary plunger connected to the delivery-plum ger for pushing the soap from the press, and an apron arranged below and immediately in front of the matrix, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in a soap-press, of a removable matrix, a horizontally moving compressing-plunger, a delivery-plunger, a chute having its sides and ends adjustable, and an auxiliary plunger shifting the soap from the chute, substantially as set forth.

6. In a soap-press, the combination of a horizontally-arranged matrix, a horizontallymoving compressing-plunger,a delivery-plum ger, grippers mounted in stationary supports or guides for holding the soap during the separation of the plungers, and a traveling apron for receiving the compressed cake from the grippers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

JOHN J. FORSTER. ROBERT L. MURDOOK;

Witnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLooTT, M. S. MURPHY. 

